Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer (left) and Boots are the series' protagonists.
The Grumpy Old Troll lives under a bridge and requires Dora and Boots to solve a riddle in order to cross it.

Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series for preschool-age children that is broadcast on Nickelodeon in the United States. A pilot episode for this series aired in 1999. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. The series not only on Nick, but also on CBS on Saturday mornings and Noggin as well.

Characters

Dora

Dora the Explorer tells the story of Dora Marquez, a seven-year old Latina who ventures forth on various simple but important quests. Dora's exact national origin remains vague because no specific Latin American country is ever mentioned. In any case, Dora speaks both Spanish and English. The location of Dora's home is also vague (however, most episodes show palm trees and mountains in the background so it is likely to be California or Mexico). Dora involves the other protagonists and the viewer of the show in the quest. At the end of each episode, Dora celebrates the completion of the quest with a song ("We Did It") and asks what the viewer's favorite obstacle or encounter was. Dora is voiced by Kathleen Herles. Dora's name is taken from the Spanish word Exploradora, which means explorer.

Boots

Dora's sidekick and best friend is Boots, a talking monkey who is 5½ years old. He wears red boots and loves to hold Dora's hand. Boots is voiced by Harrison Chad.

Swiper

Dora's quests are often complicated by a villainous fox named Swiper. Swiper is a masked thief. He usually attempts to steal an item which is necessary for Dora and Boots to complete their quest. In order to prevent Swiper from stealing whatever item Dora and Boots are carrying at the time, Dora first asks the audience if they see Swiper, then she leads them in saying, "Swiper, no swiping!" three times. In response, Swiper disappointedly snaps his fingers and says, "Oh, man!". However, if Dora and Boots fail to repeat the phrase in time, Swiper steals the item, throws it somewhere and gloats, "You're too late!" Dora and Boots must then retrieve the item so the quest can continue. Sometimes the retrieval of the item is itself the quest. Swiper is voiced by Marc Weiner.

Diego

Some more recently produced episodes have introduced Dora's cousin Diego, voiced by Felipe Dieppa. Diego is an intrepid young animal rescue worker and sometimes partners with Dora in her adventures. He has proved popular enough that Nickelodeon introduced a separate Diego series entitled Go, Diego, Go! in 2005.

Other characters

Other recurring human characters include Dora's mother (mami), father (papi), and grandmother (abuela). There are a number of minor, recurring animal characters such as Señor Tucan, Isa the iguana, Benny the bull, and Tico the squirrel. These characters can speak either Spanish or English. Additionally, the show features a number of anthropomorphic props, notably Dora's fat and ever-hungry backpack and the always-talking map. Sometimes there are also locomotives, boats and automobiles with speaking roles.

Educational value

The episodes are used to demonstrate and practice skills such as decision-making, following directions, mathematics (usually counting), music, physical coordination, and Anglo-Spanish bilingualism. While geography isn't directly taught, the concept of using a map to find one's way around is.

Dora the Explorer is currently still being produced. Dora and her companions are the subject of numerous books and other merchandise for children. The show is generally in English, although it is peppered with simple Spanish phrases in an effort to give young viewers a rather limited multicultural experience.

Foreign language versions of Dora the Explorer

As with most animated series made in the US, Dora the Explorer has been dubbed into many languages all over the world. The simplicity and repetitious nature of the episodes make this series especially well-suited for learning important phrases in a foreign language.

Spanish dub

In the Spanish language version, Dora la Exploradora, broadcast on the Telemundo network, Dora and Boots are speaking Spanish and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. Some Spanish episodes are available to US customers on VHS, and some DVDs have a Spanish track (including Dora's Egg Hunt).

French dub

In the French language version, Dora l'exploratrice, broadcast on the private French TV channel TF1, the bilingualism is Anglo-French, with Dora and Boots speaking French and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. Some French episodes are available to US customers on VHS from http://www.amazon.ca.

Japanese dub

In the Japanese language version, broadcast on Nick Japan, the bilingualism is Anglo-Japanese, with Dora and Boots speaking Japanese and other protagonists speaking and answering in English.

German dub

In the German language version, broadcast on the recently restarted German branch of Nickelodeon, the bilingualism is Anglo-German, analogously to the French and Japanese Version.

Irish dub

In the Irish language version, broadcast on the Irish Language station TG4, the bilingualism is Irish-Spanish, with Dora and Boots speaking in Irish and some other characters speaking Spanish as in the original.

Dutch dub

In the Dutch language version, broadcast on Nickelodeon (TV channel), the bilingualism is Dutch-English.

Dora the Explorer merchandise

Currently Cheerios is offering free Dora the Explorer the Game CDROMs in specially marked packages. However, customers in Quebec will only be able to use the French version. Also, there are many action figures and playsets available in many markets.

Trivia

Dora the Explorer became the first Latina balloon character in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24th, 2005. It was the 79th anniversary of the parade.

Popularity

On one episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary friends, there is a Dora parody that Eduardo watches called Lauren is Explorin'.

On one episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary friends, there is a Dora parody that Eduardo watches called Lauren is Explorin'. There is also a hotel and casino in Las Vegas named Aladdin. It was the 79th anniversary of the parade. This tale has been adapted to film a number of times, including Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, the 1939 Popeye the Sailor cartoon, and Aladdin, the 1992 animated feature by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Dora the Explorer became the first Latina balloon character in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24th, 2005. Note that although it is listed as an Arabic tale either because of its source, or because it was included in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, the characters in the story are neither Arabs nor Persians, but rather are from China and Africa. Also, there are many action figures and playsets available in many markets. The traditional Aladdin pantomime (which is set in China, unlike many adaptations of the story) is the source of the well-known pantomime character Widow Twankey.

However, customers in Quebec will only be able to use the French version. In the United Kingdom, the story of Aladdin is a popular subject for pantomimes. Currently Cheerios is offering free Dora the Explorer the Game CDROMs in specially marked packages. It was purchased by the Bibliothèque Nationale at the end of the 19th century. In the Dutch language version, broadcast on Nickelodeon (TV channel), the bilingualism is Dutch-English. Caussin de Perceval, is a copy of a manuscript made in Baghdad in 1703. In the Irish language version, broadcast on the Irish Language station TG4, the bilingualism is Irish-Spanish, with Dora and Boots speaking in Irish and some other characters speaking Spanish as in the original. The more interesting one, in a manuscript that belonged to the scholar M.

In the German language version, broadcast on the recently restarted German branch of Nickelodeon, the bilingualism is Anglo-German, analogously to the French and Japanese Version. One is a jumbled late 18th century Syrian version. In the Japanese language version, broadcast on Nick Japan, the bilingualism is Anglo-Japanese, with Dora and Boots speaking Japanese and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. John Payne, Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp and Other Stories, (London 1901) gives details of Galland's encounter with the man he referred to as "Hanna" and the discovery in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris of two Arabic manuscripts containing Aladdin (with two more of the "interpolated" tales). Some French episodes are available to US customers on VHS from http://www.amazon.ca. It was included in his volumes ix and x of the Nights, published in 1710. In the French language version, Dora l'exploratrice, broadcast on the private French TV channel TF1, the bilingualism is Anglo-French, with Dora and Boots speaking French and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. Galland's diary also tells that his translation of "Aladdin" was made in the winter of 1709–10.

Some Spanish episodes are available to US customers on VHS, and some DVDs have a Spanish track (including Dora's Egg Hunt). Galland's diary (March 25, 1709) records that he met the Maronite scholar, by name Youhenna Diab ("Hanna"), who had been brought from Aleppo to Paris, France by Paul Lucas, a celebrated French traveller. In the Spanish language version, Dora la Exploradora, broadcast on the Telemundo network, Dora and Boots are speaking Spanish and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. No medieval Arabic source has been traced for the tale, which was incorporated into The Book of One Thousand and One Nights by its French translator, Antoine Galland, who heard it from a Syrian Christian storyteller from Aleppo. The simplicity and repetitious nature of the episodes make this series especially well-suited for learning important phrases in a foreign language. . As with most animated series made in the US, Dora the Explorer has been dubbed into many languages all over the world. We recognize our own struggles to grow and develop in Aladdin's journey.

The show is generally in English, although it is peppered with simple Spanish phrases in an effort to give young viewers a rather limited multicultural experience. One of the reasons for the enduring interest of the Aladdin story lies in our often unconscious recognition of the importance of its underlying meaning. Dora and her companions are the subject of numerous books and other merchandise for children. The wholeness he finally achieves is symbolised by the re-establishment of the relationship with the princess. Dora the Explorer is currently still being produced. Aladdin's first success came too easily and was not based on his own efforts, but the genie's who helped him; his despair at losing the princess and the palace to the evil sorcerer takes him to a spiritual place at which he needs to arrive before he can develop true strength and wholeness by making his own efforts to succeed. While geography isn't directly taught, the concept of using a map to find one's way around is. This final success is only possible because the hero has learned a degree of inner maturity by going through the crisis.

The episodes are used to demonstrate and practice skills such as decision-making, following directions, mathematics (usually counting), music, physical coordination, and Anglo-Spanish bilingualism. This type of story presents in three parts: from lowly beginnings, a protagonist achieves an initial success in life, traverses a major crisis in which all seems lost, and finally triumphs over adversity to achieve more stable and enduring success. Sometimes there are also locomotives, boats and automobiles with speaking roles. an example of the "rags-to-riches" story. Additionally, the show features a number of anthropomorphic props, notably Dora's fat and ever-hungry backpack and the always-talking map. The story of Aladdin is a classic example of one of the seven basic plots in story-telling i.e. These characters can speak either Spanish or English. The theme of the wily trickster of lowly birth who outfoxes the trickster himself is a widespread motif in fables.

There are a number of minor, recurring animal characters such as Señor Tucan, Isa the iguana, Benny the bull, and Tico the squirrel. Assisted by the lesser djinn, Aladdin recovers his wife and the lamp. Other recurring human characters include Dora's mother (mami), father (papi), and grandmother (abuela). Aladdin discovers a lesser, polite djinn is summoned by a ring loaned to him by the sorcerer but forgotten during the double-cross. He has proved popular enough that Nickelodeon introduced a separate Diego series entitled Go, Diego, Go! in 2005. The sorcerer returns and is able to get his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdin's wife, who is unaware of the lamp's importance. Diego is an intrepid young animal rescue worker and sometimes partners with Dora in her adventures. With the aid of the djinn, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful and marries princess Badroulbadour.

Some more recently produced episodes have introduced Dora's cousin Diego, voiced by Felipe Dieppa. After the sorcerer attempts to double-cross him, Aladdin keeps the lamp for himself, and discovers that it summons a surly djinn that is bound to do the bidding of the person holding the lamp. Swiper is voiced by Marc Weiner. The story concerns an impoverished young man named Aladdin living in Arabia, who is recruited by a sorcerer to retrieve a wonderful oil lamp from a booby trapped magic cave. Sometimes the retrieval of the item is itself the quest. Aladdin (a corruption of the Arabic name Alauddin/ʿAlāʾu d-Dīn, Arabic: علاء الدين, Chinese: 阿拉丁) is one of the tales with a Syrian origin in the collection 1001 Nights and one of the most famous in Western culture. However, if Dora and Boots fail to repeat the phrase in time, Swiper steals the item, throws it somewhere and gloats, "You're too late!" Dora and Boots must then retrieve the item so the quest can continue.

In response, Swiper disappointedly snaps his fingers and says, "Oh, man!". In order to prevent Swiper from stealing whatever item Dora and Boots are carrying at the time, Dora first asks the audience if they see Swiper, then she leads them in saying, "Swiper, no swiping!" three times. He usually attempts to steal an item which is necessary for Dora and Boots to complete their quest. Swiper is a masked thief.

Dora's quests are often complicated by a villainous fox named Swiper. Boots is voiced by Harrison Chad. He wears red boots and loves to hold Dora's hand. Dora's sidekick and best friend is Boots, a talking monkey who is 5½ years old.

Dora's name is taken from the Spanish word Exploradora, which means explorer. Dora is voiced by Kathleen Herles. At the end of each episode, Dora celebrates the completion of the quest with a song ("We Did It") and asks what the viewer's favorite obstacle or encounter was. Dora involves the other protagonists and the viewer of the show in the quest.

The location of Dora's home is also vague (however, most episodes show palm trees and mountains in the background so it is likely to be California or Mexico). In any case, Dora speaks both Spanish and English. Dora's exact national origin remains vague because no specific Latin American country is ever mentioned. Dora the Explorer tells the story of Dora Marquez, a seven-year old Latina who ventures forth on various simple but important quests.

. The series not only on Nick, but also on CBS on Saturday mornings and Noggin as well. The show was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000.

A pilot episode for this series aired in 1999. Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series for preschool-age children that is broadcast on Nickelodeon in the United States.